I will say the reason I spend so much time gaming or online is because I spent this past year unemployed, a few months work here and there and nothing much else. I currently work sixteen hours a week. And being single I don't do much else.

I do need something or someone to distract me and make me unplug but there is nothing at the moment.

I also enjoy making videos for youtube of the gameplay etc so that's something more than just gaming I guess.

I'm tailing back on my gaming too. I'm 33 and I like to try different games. There are only a few that I stick with though. I've got a job that takes all my focus, games are a nice escape and that's probably why I still play them. Definitely a casual PC gamer now.

Coincidently, I've just picked my guitar up again. I'm going for group lessons though. One on one is too expensive, but I think I need to be shown. Everyone learns differently.

Have you considered League of Legends or Dota 2? LoL wasn't really my thing but i'm just getting into Dota 2 and it's really enjoyable. There's a huge amount of replay-ability because there is so much depth that every game plays out differently.

I guess if you are looking for something to play casually it might not be a good idea because they are pretty daunting to get into, but the matchmaking seems to do a good job of putting you with others at your skill level. Might be worth a shot if it's something you haven't tried before.

Have you considered League of Legends or Dota 2? LoL wasn't really my thing but i'm just getting into Dota 2 and it's really enjoyable. There's a huge amount of replay-ability because there is so much depth that every game plays out differently.

I guess if you are looking for something to play casually it might not be a good idea because they are pretty daunting to get into, but the matchmaking seems to do a good job of putting you with others at your skill level. Might be worth a shot if it's something you haven't tried before.

I'm not really a fan of anything F2P with added cashshops. I'm either playing B2P or P2P games, as anything else just turns out to be "pay to win".

Also, I'm rather tired of FPS or RTS-titles as there's nothing new besides the graphics and settings. Since C&C and UT/Quake nothing has really changed besides the level of graphical details.

I'm not really a fan of anything F2P with added cashshops. I'm either playing B2P or P2P games, as anything else just turns out to be "pay to win".

That is what partly put me off League. Dota 2 doesn't have this though. The only items in the cash shop are cosmetic and a lot of them you can get for free as random rewards after games anyway(AFAIK). I didn't expect to like it at all when I used to hear about friends playing it, but after looking into it I changed my mind completely.

There are loads of free keys about atm so it couldn't hurt to try it? Just make sure you watch/read a few tutorials before you play if you decide to PM me if you want a key.

Money nor time are the problem. It's more a problem of nothing peaking my interest anymore really.

And for MMORPGs spoiling the fun of other genres, well... that could be actually. I'm not interested at all in singleplayer-games for quiet a few years now, and the only game I've played solo was Borderlands 1+2, when my buddies were not around/online, and the other would be GT5 aslong as it took me to play through, whioch was quiet some time.

I guess I'm looking too hard for a game that is as massive and freeform as EvE was/is, and nothing really ever came anywhere close to it during the last 8 years.

In the same boat as you, mate. Today the gaming world consists of endless sequels and recycled, cliche-ridden storylines....not to mention dumbed-down gameplay and crap graphics on PC. THERE IS STILL HOPE, however.....

I'd check out kickstarter if I were you...lots of cool games being developed through player-funding on that site. I'm certain you'll find some projects that interest you. I see you mentioned you're an EVE player....you should check out Star Citizen or Elite: Dangerous, which are both in development.

Windows movie maker + some appropriately copyright licensed music + some footage = simple montage. The issue is mostly watching it all back rather than making it (for me at least), but is nice just to chill out and go, "**** yeah that 3 seconds was awesome, the last 5 mins of pain dosn't matter anymore." Have you recorded anything yet? If not I could give you some links to my secret footage I've uploaded, see if it inspires you.

Thanks Jester,

I am very keen to try this but everything I read points to sony vegas or adobe for the software (kerching)
Also need the recording software but which one?

Also, I'm rather tired of FPS or RTS-titles as there's nothing new besides the graphics and settings. Since C&C and UT/Quake nothing has really changed besides the level of graphical details.

Machinarium was a nice little game, as it was something different.

RTS- Nothing has changed since C&C - wrong. Try Total War or Supreme Commander Forged Alliance. Upcoming in this genre is Planetary Annihilation, which allows you to zoom from individual battles at ground level, out to take in the whole planet, solar system and then entire galaxies.

Though, as I mentioned above, both of those games are best played with your mates!

To be honest people saying 'games these days are boring - they are just rehashes of old games' kind of annoys me, because I've played all those old games too, and the new games are just as enjoyable - and a clear evolution of the genre. Its usually just down to the person being less of a wide eyed kid and more of a miserable old git. Instead, I've turned into a veteran, I know what it is I like, and I put aside time to play these games/genres with my friends whenever we can (not as often as we'd probably like these days).

33 here and I have been gaming from the days of the BBC mirco all the way through to the present and I still enjoy it although I do not dedicate anywhere near as much time as I used too. I do believe you reach an age were a lot of the games we are seeing now are often inferior rehashes of what came before or the industry has matured to a level were things that are genuinely new and exciting are rare these days. I also go through phases of being a social gamer or a complete hermit where I just want to bury myself in a good single player.

If you haven't tried them yet than I would highly recommend the Witcher 1 and 2. Both excellent games with hours of adult gameplay and are a bargain at the moment. Witcher 1 looks a bit dated but you get past that very quickly one you start playing. For a cheap short gaming blast have a go at Hotline Miami. It mixes the best of todays gaming with the best of the past and reminds you why you game in the first place. Lastly have you tried DayZ? It is probably the most unique gaming experience I have had for a long, long time.

But for the most part I can't play single player games for any long period of time. Hell even when I do I am usually on Mumble chatting and listening to rap music while wearing my big gold medallion and cap so I look cool.

Simply because I enjoy the MP aspect, just broke 800 hours of rage quiting in Battlefield 3. And some of the most fun times have been with friends who find it amusing to edit my forum posts with the truth. Hell whether we are winning its because we cheated or loosing because we forget to switch on out aim bots, its still fun

I've been playing games for the last 20 years, and I'm in no direction to stop, or even slow down. True that many of the newer titles are stale and reworked again and again, there is innovation here and there.

At the moment I'm waiting for Watch Dogs to come out as that has a lot of promise to do something new and different.

Nothing seems to hold my attention either these days. Realistically I can't dedicate more than an hour to a game in one go any more without feeling the need for a break. Even games I'm really hyped for can't keep me playing for more than an hour really with a few exceptions.

Currently I'm playing on and off:

Farcry 3 - It's good but it simply doesn't hold my attention. After 45 minutes I just can't be bothered any more.

XCOM: Enemy unknown - Played it for about 4 hours but had to stop and just haven't gone back to it yet

DOTA 2 - I prefer watching tournaments than actually playing it

SC2 - Again I like watching pro games more than palying the multiplayer. The campaign is amazing though.

The only game other than SC2 HOTS I'm looking forward to in Blizzard All Starts. It ticks alot of the boxes that i want in a MOBA and deals with a lot of the issues. That is assuming it ever comes out and lives up to its promises.

I don't know about you but I just don't seem to have the time. Having moved in with my gf there is always something that either needs doing or we are doing together. The rare chances I do get to play are generally spent trying to relearn the controls of games I started then put down or remember what I was trying to do and where it was. Usually by the time I've conquered those issues gaming time is over and it's back to square one. I've managed to play through Xcom a few times and still pick up LOL although I always seem to play the character I know now rather than trying the new ones.

The games you can pick up and play instantly aren't deep enough to be interesting and the games that are interesting you can't really pick up and play instantly. It's no win situation for me it seems but I still delude myself into thinking that there are games I'd enjoy out there given the chance - a few of which are sat on my shelves / hdd gathering dust. Hitman Absolution unopened, assasins creed 3 - played mp for half a day with mate who bought me it for xmas, batman arkham city started but not finished - and gf bought me expansion for xmas!

Basically I need another me to send to work or training or to do things with the gf so that the other me has time to commit to playing games!

I am 44 this year (ouch!) and I still love games as much as I always did. The difference is the type of games I want to play has changed as has the time and opportunity to play them. One of the problems for me is that I have seen just about every genre over the years and very little surprises me any more. Especially in the last five years or so, games have become more generic, relied more on set pieces and big budget movie scenes and have become 'less fun'.

My fingers can no longer manage games with endless combo streaks and complicated drawn out boss fights and to be honest, these games don't interest me anyway.

One of the reasons I love the Arma series so much is that the experience is almost always different every time. I can play a SP mission and approach it in one of a thousand ways, in multiplayer the options are even more varied. It manages to hold my interest because of this, and I love it, and probably will for a long time to come.

Also, as I have got older I have found myself wanting to play more and more open world games and games that have multiple routes to the 'end game'. Games like Skyrim, which although scripted, does allow me to choose my own path through the game. Assasin's Creed, just for the ability to explore and get lost in the world or GTAIV which allows me to follow a great story while at the same time having a huge involvement in it.

Games I used to enjoy like XCOM, I found I don't anymore as I can now, with experience, tell when the AI is flawed or when the mechanic is overly simple an monotonous.

The future is bright though. We have Elite and Star Citizen to look forward to. I am also looking forward to Godus - which if done correctly may reinvigorate my interest in God Games.

There's also a bunch of new hardware to look forward to...

I have the WiiU and I look forward to seeing how developers push the asymmetric gaming possibilities with the WiiU 'tablet'. ZombieU was an excellent example of what can be achieved in this regard and it's a shame that so far it is the only title that really tried to use it to its potential.

I have the OUYA to look forward to as well - I am interested to see what comes of that and whether it really will open up the gaming platform for indie developers.

Then there is the Steam Box, Xbox720 and PS4 - all of these should allow brave developers (and braver publishers) to push the boundaries of gaming. Although part of me suspects that we will see the same old same old but with more movie sequences and flashier set pieces - I hope not though.

Lastly, there is Kickstarter. This has shown that good games can be funded and made. I am hoping that Kickstarter will show the industry in general that they do not have to rely on 'safe bets' and Formula driven design to maximize on ROI.

In general though I think that innovation has been lost in the last few years which is probably why my own interest in gaming has become more cynical and hence maybe given me less enjoyment than it should. All the ingredients are there to make the future rosy - it is down to the industry to grab itself by the balls and take a leap of faith once in a while.

At least in my case, nowadays I have much more to actually do, and things that need doing more than gaming does. In reality, I perhaps play 4-5 hours of video games a month now, and that will be on a rare sunday where I have no other plans/desires to do other things.

I can only figure that, as time goes by and you gain more life responsibilities that the "having game based fun" side just starts ebbing away. I know I resent the notion of starting a game if I might have to go out and do something that I actually need to do within a few hours, so I find something else to do.

I guess as we get older we get a touch more cynical and suspect of new things, and don't really want to play it because it looks the same as something we fondly remember, but worse.

My partner is 10 years older than me (38) and told me the other day that's he's starting to go off gaming.

When he told me, he said my face looked like I had just discovered a dead prossie under the floor boards.

He said that, but then two weeks later he's jumping up and down like a school girl when pre-ordering Sim City 5. He then proceeds to pre-order me Dead Space 3 and Colonial marines because 'he likes watching me play games'.

I rolled my eyes and told him that gaming is like prison. You can escape it for a while, but it will always find a way of getting you back.